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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. degree — an amount
  3. firm — a company
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mate — a friend
  7. charge — in control
  8. perch — the fish
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bat — the animal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. charge — a price
  14. mate — to breed
  15. press — to push
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. charge — electricity
  19. press — a publisher
  20. degree — from a university
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. degree — temperature
  23. firm — steady
  24. mate — a partner

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com